The invention relates to a method and device for inhibiting pain pulses in the nerves of humans and animals.
Pain is one of the commonest symptoms of illness or tissue damage or a metabolic disturbance. The pain is noticeable when mechanical, thermal, chemical or electrical stimuli exceed a certain threshold value.
Therapeutic analgesics which to some extent have a very strong action with just as strong side effects for humans, animals and the environment are used in combating pain.
Pain conduction in the nerve paths of humans and animals takes place by ions which migrate along to the electrically charged membrane of the nerve. A quiescent membrane is positively charged outside and negatively charged inside. The potential or voltage of the outer side relative to the inside is about 70 millivolts (mV) in the pain-free quiescent state (equilibrium rest potential). At the moment of excitation by pain, the changes reverse, whereby In the case of humans the potential decays over {fraction (1/1000)} second by about 100 mV to the negative side, i.e. to a value of xe2x88x9230 mV from the outside to the inside. The frequency of the rising and falling phase, which occurs due to migration of ions, of the peak potential is approximately proportional to the intensity of pain to be transmitted. The speed of conduction of the nerve action can be up to 100 m/sec in the case of humans.
The invention therefore has the object of providing a method and a device for the inhibiting of pain pulses in the nerves of humans and animals, which do not have the disadvantages of medicinal treatment of pain, are completely free of side effects, function without auxiliary energy, can be made and sold economically and do not cause any environmental loading in operation and disposal of waste.
This object is met by the features indicated in claim 1.
In further refinement of the invention it is regarded as advantageous that:
a) the capacitor or several capacitors in parallel connection are accommodated in a dosed housing, that the positive pole of the or each capacitor is connected with a large-area spherically rounded metal shell and the negative pole of the or each capacitor similarly with an oppositely disposed, spherically rounded metal shell, and that the negative potential is led to ground by way of the hand of the patient or the therapist;
b) the capacitance of the capacitor or the total capacitance of the capacitors connected in parallel is at least 10,000 microfarads (xcexcF);
c) one or more capacitors are mounted in fixed location in furniture for sifting or lying on or in the bed of the patient and that the positive pole or poles thereof comes or come to constantly bear against the places of pain in the patient and the negative pole or poles is or are applied to ground and
d) one or more capacitors in special flat mode of construction are held by means of a bandage at the pain-conducting parts of the body or held in the clothing of the patient against the pain-conducting parts of the body, wherein the positive pole is directed to the place of pain and the negative pole is drained off to a remote part of the body.